


If You'll Have Me

by bookscorpion



Series: Witcher Wheel of the Year 2021 [1]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Genre: Cunnilingus, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Penis In Vagina Sex, Smut, Witcher Wheel of the Year, Witcher Wheel of the Year 2021, Witchers Have Feelings (The Witcher)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:01:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29086539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookscorpion/pseuds/bookscorpion
Summary: When Eskel pulled her close to him again, Shani could smell his very own scent, leather and juniper. She realised that she would miss him, his steady presence and calm, deep voice.Eskel and Shani have spent a whole winter together. It's coming to an end, but something new begins.
Relationships: Eskel/Shani (The Witcher)
Series: Witcher Wheel of the Year 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137485
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17
Collections: A Witcher Wheel of the Year 2021





	If You'll Have Me

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Witcher Wheel of the Year event series - Imbolc, First Time
> 
> WWotY runs on [Tumblr](https://witcherwheeloftheyear.tumblr.com/post/634214250577068032/a-witcher-wheel-of-the-year-2021-a-witcher-wheel), [Twitter #witcherwheeloftheyear](https://twitter.com/search?q=witcherwheeloftheyear), [Dreamwidth](https://witcherverse.dreamwidth.org/17386.html) and [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/1858274) for all of 2021

The room spun, and Shani spun with it. She held Eskel's hands, swinging around as the melody picked up speed. A circlet of braided snowdrops sat on Eskel's dark hair, slightly askew as if they were astonished to find themselves crowning a witcher.

They crowned Shani as well, gathered earlier on a walk around the outskirts of Oxenfurt. Eskel hadn't protested too much when Shani had placed them on his head, mollified by the air of festivity and cheer. 

People were glad to have this festival, the first sign that the long winter was ending. They were glad to see the first flowers, to light candles against the darkness, and to dance and sing. They were glad to celebrate and to have a day, or just an evening, away from their cares.

Shani was glad of it as well. She had insisted Eskel join her for the feast, and he had agreed. No one had done more than give him a second look, astonished to find a witcher in their midst. Shani didn't deceive herself that this was because the people of Oxenfurt were particularly friendly or tolerant, but she was well known and liked here. Well enough that it extended to Eskel, and they were both made welcome.

The barn was lit with the golden light of candles and oil lamps, and warm with the heat of all the people dancing around them, swirling and laughing. It smelled of freshly baked bread and of last autumn's apples roasting in a fire to be eaten with honey.

When Eskel pulled her close to him again, Shani could smell his very own scent, leather and juniper. She realised that she would _miss_ him, his steady presence and calm, deep voice. He was easy to be around, and she had enjoyed having him spend his winter in Oxenfurt with her. Now that spring had come, he would leave soon.

It was the one note of sadness for her today, and she shoved it away. The music ended, the musicians pausing for a drink, and Shani gave a tug on Eskel's hand.

'Let's sit, I need something to drink and one of those apples.' 

They found a bench a little out of the way, and Eskel went to get them food and drink. Shani leaned against the wall, watching him wind his way around the crowd with unconscious grace. When he came back, balancing two tankards and a bowl with an apple perched on top of each, he caught her gaze and gave her a smile. 

Eskel smiled with his eyes much more than with his mouth, ever conscious of the way his scars pulled on his lip. Shani's heart picked up speed at the sight, and she was glad of the music and laughter that kept him from hearing that. She hoped.

If he noticed, Eskel didn't comment on it. But that didn't mean anything, she had quickly learned that he listened much more than he spoke. Another quality she appreciated.

"Thank you. For takin' me along. 's nice." Eskel was halfway through his apple, and looked at her from below his eyelashes, another half-smile lighting up his eyes. In the warm light of the candles, they were the colour of honey and Shani wanted to kiss him.

She kept herself from it by taking another sip from her tankard of small beer, smiling back at him as she swallowed. 

"Of course. I— will miss you. I enjoyed having you around." There. She had said it. It seemed to actually surprise Eskel, judging by the raised eyebrow and slightly widening eyes. But he quickly found back to his usual calm self.

"'S not like we won't see each other. Next winter, at the latest. If you'll have me." 

"Gladly! You're welcome to stay whenever you want!" There was no way he didn't her her heart beating faster at the thought this time, even if the thought alone of having Eskel return to her hadn't made her grin excitedly. 

Shani just hoped it didn't make him uncomfortable. He had been perfectly pleasant and friendly, but he was like that with _everyone_. And she couldn't tell if he might be interested in more. Although she guessed that he would have said something, or acted upon it. So probably not. The thought gave her a sad little pang. 

The way back to her house was cold, and dark, and wet. Winter still had Oxenfurt in its hold, and made that point with sleet and a wind that pierced right through clothes, no matter how thick. Even Eskel seemed miserable, his shoulders drawn up.

On the landing where stairs led up to Shani's rooms, and the corridor to the room Eskel had made his home for the winter, they both hesitated. Shani didn't want the night to end just yet. But she also didn't want to make a fool of herself, and maybe make Eskel leave early and avoid her.

_Just say it. He can handle it, he's heard it before._

"Will you— I think we need to talk." _Now_ Eskel looked worried. Shani took his hand and gave it a tug in an effort to make him move. "Upstairs." 

She'd be damned if she had this discussion on the stairs. Eskel followed her and found himself a seat on the bench beneath the window. He looked immensely uncomfortable, as if he'd rather be anywhere else. Shani sat next to him, with much more space between them than before. The opposite of what she wanted. This was not going well.

"If you need me to move on, that's alright. I can go south, find work there. I don' wanna overstay my welc—" Eskel fell silent when Shani put a finger to his lips. His eyes went wide, slitted pupils round in the halfdark of the room.

"That's not it. If anything, I would have you stay longer. I know you need to go out on the Path sooner or later, but the time we have left, and when you return— I would like to—" _do not say, get to know you better, that sounds like from a stupid play_ Shani faltered, at a loss for words. She had imagined this moment quite often but now she didn't know what to say.

"Gods, there's no good way to say it. I think I'm falling in love with you." _There. Finally._ It was out in the open, and out of her hands.

"Oh." Eskel looked down at his hands, and Shani could have sworn that he blushed. When he raised his head again, he was smiling, and she melted a little.

"I liked the way you said it jus' fine. I'm— 'm not sure how this will work? I won't be around mos' of the time. But if you want to try, 'm willing. Jus' don' feel you have to wait for me, or anything?" Eskel was visibly casting around for words.

Shani scooted closer and leaned in, pushing her fingers into Eskel's hair. It was exactly as soft as she had thought it would be. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and kissed him, shyly at first, their lips barely touching. Emboldened, she did it again and that kiss was much longer and deeper. She found that the scars splitting his lip were soft, too, silky and smooth.

When Eskel moved to pull her into his lap, Shani gave a breathless squeak that dissolved into giggles. She straddled him, her arms resting on his shoulders, and sunk into the warm honey of his eyes. 

'Take me to bed? We can try to figure out everything else later.' Shani moved her hips against Eskel, brushing up against his codpiece. 

His hands under her ass, Eskel stood up, carrying her as if she weighed nothing. It thrilled her, this effortless demonstration of strength, and she clung to him as he made his way across the room to the bed, putting her down gently.

They shed their first layer of clothes in a hurried chaos of hands struggling to unlace and unbutton everything that kept them from finally touching skin. When they did, they both stopped, hands resting on each others' waists under their tunics, kneeling opposite each other.

Shani leaned in for a kiss, smiling against Eskel's lips. Taking hold of his tunic, she pulled it carefully over his head. She reached up and righted the snowdrop crown still clinging to his hair, touched her own. 

It wasn't exactly the first time she had seen Eskel without a shirt, or even naked. She had stitched him up before, much like any other witcher that had crossed her path. And she had taken note of his scars then, but more in a professionally interested way, wondering at the rapid healing powers of his mutated body.

Now, she traced them with her fingers, finding a couple new ones that hadn't been there last time. Eskel closed his eyes with a soft noise. his fingers twitching minutely against Shani's skin. 

Under her hands, Eskel's scars mapped out a life spent fighting, and surviving. Large claw marks, teeth that had torn at flesh and skin, swords that had cut and pierced. Some were raised above the skin, some had dug valleys into it. Some were soft, some had hardened like thick leather. 

Under her hands, Eskel's muscles quivered. Her touch raised every hair on his body and she brushed over them. Moving from his arms to his chest and down to his stomach, where she found a trail of dark hairs leading towards the waistband of his pants.

Under her hands, Eskel's cock was hard in his leathers. He jumped at the touch, his eyes flying open. 

'Lay down for me?' Shani put her flat palm to his chest. It didn't need much pressure to make Eskel fall over on his back, with Shani kneeling between his legs. He curled one arm behind his head, watching her from half-lidded eyes. 

'Can I finish undressing you?' Shani walked her fingers up Eskel's leg, waiting for an answer.

He nodded, shivering when she started tugging on the laces of his leathers. 'Y'know, I've been wantin' to do that for— a while now. I jus' didn' think you'd be interested.' 

Shani caught the hand that gestured at his face and the scars, placing a kiss to the palm. Eskel cupped her cheek, tracing her lips with his thumb. Sword callouses were rough against her skin, but she didn't mind that at all.

'Oh, I was interested. I just didn't think you were. A fine pair of fools we make. We could have had a much warmer winter.' She gave a laugh, and Eskel joined in. His laughter started deep in his chest, rumbling and low, and it filled her with joy to hear it. 

'I liked my winter with you as it was. Being around you. 's easy. But I like this, too. A lot.' Eskel obediently raised his hips when Shani hooked her fingers into the waistband of his leathers, and she pulled them down, leaving him only with his braies. 

Standing, Shani kicked off the rest of her own clothes and climbed back up on the bed, straddling Eskel's stomach. His hands came up to rest on her waist, the gentlest touch. She braced herself with one arm next to his head and kissed him, her free hand wandering down his neck to his chest, tracing around his nipples. She found them hard, and moved her palm in circles over one, then the other. 

Eskel's arms embraced her, pulled her close, and she let him roll them until he came out on top. With a smile that cared nothing for the scars pulling on it, he righted the crown on her head, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. 

She parted her legs for him when he nudged them and Eskel came to kneel between them, one hand stretched up to caress Shani's stomach and her breasts. His breath was hot against her thighs as he kissed them, and she closed her eyes, planting one foot on the mattress to offer herself up for him. 

Obligingly, Eskel spread her open with his fingers and dipped his tongue between her folds, finding her clit. He flicked it with the tip of his tongue, playing with it until she gave a needy whine and raised her hips. When his lips closed around her clit and his finger slid inside of her, Shani melted. He was exactly as gentle as she had imagined, and as skillful. 

Raising her head, she watched him, and met his gaze. Slitted pupils grown round and black, the golden iris only a thin corona around them. Shani reached out to take his hand where it rested on her stomach, intertwining their fingers. She held on to him as he pleasured her, fingers and tongue driving her ever higher. Every flick against her clit, every pass of his tongue across it, had her moaning with the warm lust coiling in her groin. 

'Stop, please?' Shani squeezed his hand, and Eskel immediately followed her wish, propping himself up on his elbows.

''s something wrong?' He cocks his head to the side, one eyebrow rising. Smiling at him, Shani pulled on his hand and he followed until he was in reach for a kiss. She tasted herself on him, salt and musk, and licked at his lips.

'Nothing is wrong at all. But I wants _more_ of you." Shani raises her thigh between Eskel's, rubbing it along his cock while pulling him down into another kiss with both hands. He makes a choked noise, sucks a sharp breath through his nose, and rolls his hips against her. 

It only took them a second to free Eskel of his braies, and Shani reached down between his legs to palm his cock. It was heavy in her hand, and burning hot. Still crouched over her, Eskel buried his face between her breasts, arching his back up.

'Let me ride you?' Shani wanted to be able to watch him, take him at her leisure. At a nudge, Eskel rolled over on his back next to her and she came to straddle him again. His cock pressed between her folds and she shifted, grinding her clit against it. It sent shocks of silvery pleasure up her spine and she gave a long moan, tipping her head back.

Underneath her, Eskel sprawled on the bed, his arms above his head and his head to one side, gazing up at her with a little smile. He reached out with one hand, caressing her breasts, running it down her stomach and over the soft hairs there to the curly ones above her cunt. 

His fingers found her clit again, circling on it. Shani leaned back, bracing herself on his legs and presenting her cunt for him, showing herself off. She rolled her hips, slicking his cock up with her wetness. 

Rising up on her knees, Shani balanced herself with one hand to Eskel's chest. He held his cock for her to sink down on, and she did. The first touch of the head to her cunt made her bite her lip. All his teasing had made her overly sensitive and she was ravenous for him. But she forced herself to go slow, to tease him right back. 

Taking only the tip of his cock inside of her, Shani stilled herself. She clenched around him and Eskel _growled_ , a deep noise that vibrated through her where her thighs pressed into his sides. It prompted her to rise up, then sink down on him again, squeezing him while she did it. Soon, Eskel was panting, his chest rising and falling under her hand.

Shani had mercy on him and finally took more than just the head of his cock, fucking it into herself in leisurely movements. When she was fully seated, she let herself fall forward, catching herself on her hands on either side of his head. She rubbed her nose against Eskel's, kissing the tip. 

'I love having you inside of me.' Another kiss to his nose, and she started to roll her hips. Eskel moved with her, his hands trailing up her thighs, caressing her ass. He watched her with an openly fascinated look on his face that made Shani feel adored. It wasn't something she was used to. She preferred to keep her relationships casual. It had turned out to be easier with the way her life abruptly took her to new places at very short notice. And it kept people from getting all protective of her, something Shani had no use for.

This might not be that kind of casual relationship. Especially since she trusted Eskel not to interfere with her work, or the way she led her life, for the wrong reasons. Just as she wouldn't interfere with his.

A strong buck of his hips drew her out of her thought, upsetting the calm seas of pleasure she had sailed with the first warning of a storm. It told of Eskel's strength, strength that he tamed for her. But she didn't want it tamed.

Raising herself up until he was only halfway inside of her, Shani pressed her knees into his sides, urging him on. Eskel gave a drawn-out moan at the loss of her and thrust up, burying himself again and again. She moved with him, seeking and finding a rhythm that soon became frantic. 

All self-control lost, Shani sought her pleasure in Eskel, and he did the same, grabbing her hips and holding her in place. She braced herself on his chest, letting him keep her balanced, and worked her clit with two fingers as his cock plunged into her. 

Eskel stiffened between her legs, arching his back up and burying himself to the root in one last hard thrust. He cried out his pleasure, his cum shockingly hot in Shani's cunt. She clenched around him, not quite there yet and chasing her release desperately. His fingers joined hers and she grabbed his hand, moving it just the way she needed it. 

When it came, her orgasm swept her away, a wave that rose up from her core, spreading out into her limbs. She slumped on top of Eskel who caught her in his arms, pulling her close. 

For a while, she drifted along. Eskel was warm under her, his palms running up and down her spine. She pushed his nose into the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent of sweat and musk. Outside, the night might have been dark and icy, but Shani was as comfortable and safe as she could be, content to just _be_ with Eskel. 

He had slipped out of her and the slow trickle of his cum finally made her squirm. Propping herself up, she dipped her head for a kiss, taking her time. The crown of snowdrops still rested on Eskel's hair, if somewhat askew and squashed, just like her own. 

'Thank you.' Eskel reached up and righted her crown, cupping her face. 'Let me clean up? I want to hold you in my arms, but 'm itchin' all over, I need a wash.'

Shani directed him to the pitcher of water, and smiled to herself as he heated it up with Igni. A most practical use of the sign, even though she suspected it needed more control than Eskel let on. He wiped himself down with a piece of cloth and did the same for her, kissing the clean skin.

When he was done, Shani pulled him into bed again. He followed her easily, coming to sit beside her and sharing a mug of heavily watered wine with her. His fingers wandered up and down her arm, caressing her tenderly.

'D'you think we can make this work? Do you _want_ to?' With his nose buried in her hair, Eskel's voice was muffled, but the mix of hope and worry was perfectly audible.

Shani ran her fingers through the hairs on his chest, followed them down to his belly, resting it on the little paunch there that had appeared over winter. 'Yes. I want to. I think we can do it, even though it won't be easy? Let's talk about this tomorrow, over breakfast?'

'Let's.' Eskel reached up to take off his flower crown, and then Shani's, placing them carefully on the nightstand. The snowdrops were wilting a little, but had survived the night surprisingly well. 

They curled up together under the covers, Shani's back pressed against Eskel's chest and his arms around her. Another Igni extinguished the last candle and left only comfortable darkness.


End file.
